Price does not equal quality; higher price means you are, at a minimum, paying extra for branding, and you may or may not get high quality with it. There are so many releases that it’s okay to wait and think about something–even if you “miss out,” there’s another release tomorrow. Find reviewers you trust to get a better sense of products you’re interested in.
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I would add.. Stay away from irritants (like fragrance) that damage skin over time and cause havoc with more sensitive skin. Do your research! You’ll save time and money.
1. As Christine said, price is no indicator/guarantee of quality
2. Read reviews here at Temptalia and at Makeup Alley (rather than listening to gushing “influencers”). Temptalia is a great resource for finding dupes of products that you missed out on but would have liked to have tried or for less costly dupes of things that catch your eye but you’re still not sure that they’re right for you. Great way to avoid costly mistakes.
3. Start with “the basics” – your basics – of a few products in each category that work for you and your skin tone, no matter what “they” say is the “in colour”. Two eyeliners, 2 blushes, 2 eyeshadow palettes (again, in shades that work for you, even if they’re not the “in fashion this week” colours), 2 lipsticks and a decent base product – if you need it – is probably all any of us really need.
adding a 4th tip – if in doubt, just skip it. You probably don’t need it, it will be a waste of your money and if you change your mind and you have missed out, you can certainly find a dupe at Temptalia for even the most coveted of LE products.
Love this !!! if in doubt, just skip it. You probably don’t need it, it will be a waste of your money and if you change your mind and you have missed out, you can certainly find a dupe at Temptalia for even the most coveted of LE products.”
1. Spending more does not equate better. There is good and bad at both price points. Also learn about parent companies. They love to share similar if not the same formulas across brands . Only difference is price and packaging ie YSL is often high priced fancy packaged L’Oréal lol
2. Of course wear what you like but honestly if you don’t need foundation, powder , concealer…if you aren’t mattifying oily skin, covering redness or acne etc …don’t wear it. No need to waste $$ on stuff you don’t really want to wear and you’re just sinking $$ into bc you think you need to wear it bc that’s what people are wearing . Just don’t. Spend $$$ on the stuff you do want to wear…you’ll wear it more!
3. TBH ALL reviews are subjective. Use as a starting point if you must but ultimately trust your own gut and know you, your own interests, tastes and comfort level. I’ve bought products bc a preferred Youtuber gushed about it and I thought it was trash. Others times something worked out. And I’ve read reviews and could not disagree more about what they wrote. Another persons opinion is not gospel. No matter how well tested and well written the review is, they cannot predict or know your experience! My advice is find people with similar tastes, skin tone and skin texture as you, read various blogs and resources, talk with family and friends and know you!
Very good point on #3. We often forget that people have different skin, taste in makeup, lifestyle, schedules. Don’t take people’s reviews as a gospel, but also don’t consider them liars just because what works for them doesn’t work for you. Especially for people new into makeup I think is more important to pay attention on how people evaluate makeup (criteria used, different methods for testing, etc.), than just buying what they rate good.
1. Have fun! 2. Use products that work for you. Everyone’s skin and personal taste are different. Don’t feel bad if other people dislike the products you enjoy. 3. The right applicator/brush for your foundation can save you time and effort.
1. Learn how to determine your skin undertones.
2. Start with good drugstore products while figuring out what you need, like, and what works on you. Check out drugstore beginner or capsule collection videos on YouTube if you need ideas.
3. Relax. Have fun. Remember that makeup washes off. 🙂
1. Figure out your undertones, value and contrast level!! That will go so far in finding makeup that looks good.
2. Don’t shop for your fantasy self. It’s fun to have beautiful things for special occasions, but if you only ever do a five minute face three times a week maximum, shop for that reality.
3. Don’t feel like you have to have every category covered! And definitely not every color. If you don’t own any neon/green/blue/black of something, that’s probably ok.
Very, very good advice! I find myself buying eyeshadow palettes for my fantasy self. I have so many eyeshadow palettes just sitting there getting old which is not good. It is very good advice to be true to yourself and stick with the basics.
1. Your face shape is unique, and make-up should be used to enhance your own traits. Don’t follow tutorials from people with a different eye shape or cheek bone structure then you; try to understand how they enhance their own features and adapt the idea to you. That make-up look might look amazing on a model with infinite lid space, but awful on your hooded eyes.
2. Practice, practice, practice. Try and test multiple options. Unless you are a skilled makeup artist, you won’t know if it looks good on you until you try it. Practice new makeup techniques before removing your makeup. Try to perfect your winged eye liner in the evening. Try a new blush or contour position, or a new eyeshadow shape during a day you stay at home.
If possible, get sample (especially foundations and primers) to test own. When times allow, go in stores and swatch/try multiple lipstick or blush shades to see what looks good on you; or just buy a cheap huge palette with tons of colors, and try them just to understand what colors suit you.
3. Blend, blend, blend. Foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow… everything needs to be blended very well to create a seamless look. Harsh lines might look good in an editorial look, but not in our daily lives.
1.) Definitely look for reviews from preferably non-sponsored, trustworthy YouTubers and beauty bloggers like right here or Musings Of A Muse.
2.) Get a really GOOD foundation match! Even if it’s not a company you want to support/buy from, MAC is pretty spot on with getting shades right, and then you can utilize Temptalia’s Foundation matching feature to find the same shade in another brand.
3.) EXPERIMENT! With color, tones, finishes, to find what works for both your individual coloring and aesthetic.
My #1 suggestion also is to get a GOOD MATCH for foundation. You can work off that color for other products for more or less coverage, more or less moisture.
#2, Stay away from the heavily perfumed products.
#3. Practice. It’s supposed to be fun. Enjoy yourself. I used to make my 6 yr old little sister look like an elderly lady from tricks I learned in Drama club in high school.
Everyone already added a lot of great tips so I’ll try to throw in some different ones that I also like to share with people who ask me for advice.
1. Find influencers who have similar coloring, taste, or skincare concerns to yours. Take their reviews with a grain and salt, but they can serve as a great springboard for you to find things that might work for you. ESPECIALLY if you have hard-to-match skin, it can be so beneficial to find someone with the same skintone who can let you know which complexion lines actually have something you can wear.
2. Try to be really purposeful in what you buy, rather than impulsive. When I was still figuring makeup out I wasted so much money on stuff that wasn’t good for my needs. just because it looked cute in the store or someone recommended it.
3. Remember to clean your brushes 🙂
Concur!
Get a few brushes, they don’t have to be $$$. Practice, practice with everything shadow, blush, liner, foundation application and HAVE FUN! Makeup should be something enjoyable to put on…not happy? you can always start over.
Find out if have cool, warm, or neutral undertones.
Use makeup appropriate for your skin type.
Don’t worry about following trends: apply and wear makeup that you love and that makes you feel comfortable and confident.
Less is more!
The three things I would tell a makeup newcomer is:
1. Find your correct foundation shade and undertone and start with a light hand in application.
2. You don’t need to spend a great deal of money on mascaras, eye brow pencils, lipsticks etc. Check out your local chemist/budget beauty shop etc as the staff there have a good knowledge of all the brands on show, not just the brand they would be selling in a department store. Talk to them about the kinds of eyeshadows, blushes etc that would suit you best. Get to know your colours.
3. Think about when and where you will be wearing your makeup mostly – work?, weekends? going out? and just buy what you need. Read makeup reviews from places like Temptalia and then you really do know what you are spending your money on.
I definitely agree that a good foundation match is crucial. I would steer a makeup newcomer to Sephora and/or Ulta for help finding their best match/matches, and I’d probably recommend Fenty in particular, since they have such a wide shade range and accommodate so many skin tones and undertones.
My tips beyond that point:
1. Price and quality can be related, but price doesn’t guarantee quality. Don’t buy price points beyond what you can afford, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different price points within your affordability range, either.
2. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with color. If a particular color ends up not working for you, you don’t necessarily need to get rid of it-if you want, you can use it as an accent color combined with colors that do suit you better.
3. It’s OK to change your mind. If you don’t like a certain product or brand, try it again later and you may end up liking it!
So many good advices here already so what can I add?
Don’t use things you don’t need, just because one can see videos where loads of concealers are used doesn’t mean we all need to cover half the cheek with concealer. Maybe you don’t even need concealers and foundation, if so, save the money.
Buy good brushes and keep them clean.
Don’t listen to rules, experiment when you have time, try new makeup in the evening as it can apply differently than one think and it could be frustrating when you have to be on time.
Always wash every bit of makeup off before sleep.
1. think research versus whim
2. analyze why something works or doesn’t work. It will save you time and money in the long run
3. discard or donate items you do not absolutely love. You’re never going to wear them.
1. Wash it off before bed!! Don’t learn the hard way, like me.
2. Consider your own “basics”. I’ve seen a lot of makeup basics lists that include blush and concealer, but those are wasted on me. Maybe your basics are eyebrow gel and tinted moisturizer, or black lipstick and white grease paint.
3. Learn how to emphasize/deemphasize, and use that at will. For instance, I have small lips, and a lot of advice will say to use light and shiny colors to make them appear larger, as dark mattes will make them smaller. But I like the smallness and the way the dark colors look with my heavy black glasses. Once you understand the art, you can use the tricks and tools to create whatever aesthetic you please, even if it goes against what’s conventionally attractive. Even if you choose to ignore it, and slap some colors on your face at random (which is so much fun and recommend at least once) at least you’ll understand why something looks the way it does.
Yes this is so true. There is a balance though. I would personally like quality over quantity. Research is key and reviews are a great way to know what you are spending your money on.